SheRides to Provide Female-Only Taxi Service to New York Women

A new car service for women is set to launch on September 16 in New York City, Westchester County, and Long Island. SheRides, which goes by “SheTaxi” in other states, will use female drivers exclusively to provide safe and secure transportation for women.

Smartphone users will be able to request a ride using the SheTaxi app (iPhone for now, Android in the works). The app will then ask them to verify that there is a woman in their party before sending one of their drivers, outfitted in a hot pink pashmina scarf, to pick them up.

SheRides founder Stella Mateo told the New York Times that part of her inspiration for the service was the dearth of female taxi drivers in the city (just one percent of yellow cab drivers are women, according to the Times).